Seeking a public forum? Go to YouTube, running for president? Go to YouTube, Broadcasting Christmas Greetings to your royal subjects?, Go to YouTube, denying steroid use? Go to YouTube. Within the last 24 hours, both a Queen and a future first-ballot Hall of Famer have used YouTube to broadcast their messages to the world. There's a lot more at stake in Roger Clemens' message than in her royal majesty's. The Hall of Fame is at stake for the tarnished 'Rocket' and he's hoping that his subjects believe him. The Queen is just delivering her benign greetings to all and to all a good night...
In watching Clemens video he gets his message across calmly and thanks you for all your support. Then comes the denial. I would almost believe him had it not been for the testimony which stated pretty clearly that Roger Clemens was injected with steroids - maybe human growth hormones too. It wasn't a flu shot, I'm pretty sure of that. I believe the testimony more than I believe Clemens. They say that it's hard to lie without blinking your eyes so I'm thinking that maybe he blinks a lot because he has dry eyes - yeah, right! ...
You be the judge. Watch the video and make your own decision: http://www.youtube.com/wrclemens ...
Merry Christmas everyone...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1799] "Happy Trails": George Washington is eulogized by Colonel Henry Lee as "First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen." (12/26)...1946] W.C. Fields dies at 66 from a stomach hemorrhage (12/25)...Despite all the rumors about the Philadelphia joke on his headstone, it just has his name and dates of birth and death...1954] R&B singer Johnny Ace shoots himself fatally while playing 'Russian roulette' backstage at a concert in Houston. The "Pledging My Love" singer was just 25 (12/24)...1972] Harry S. Truman our 33rd president dies in Kansas City from lung congestion caused by pneumonia at 88 (12/26)...1974] Jack Benny passes away from pancreatic cancer at 80 (12/26)...1977] Charlie Chaplin dies in his sleep at 88 (12/25)...1989] Former Yankees manager Billy Martin dies in a pickup truck crash in Fenton (NY) at 61 (12/25)...1995] Dean Martin dies from respiratory failure at 78 (12/25)...1999] Curtis Mayfield dies at 57 from diabetes after being paralyzed when a light stand fell on him some years earlier (12/26)...2000] Jason Robards dies from lung cancer at 78 (12/26)...2006] Former President Gerald R. Ford dies from arteriosclerosis at 93 (12/26)...
- 1947] Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow: A major snowstorm blankets New York City under 25.8" in 16 hours. 80 die in the northeast as a result of the storm (12/26)...
- 1948] Debuted on this date: A midnight mass is broadcast on TV for the first time from St. Patrick's Cathedral (12/25)...1948] "The Perry Como Show" debuts (12/25)...1953] NBC-TV's "Dragnet" becomes the first network show to be sponsored in full (by Fatima cigarettes) (12/24)...1955] The Lennon Sisters debut on "The Lawrence Welk Show" (12/24) America's sweethearts reminisce: http://youtube.com/watch?v=z5zOXwBFMRQ&feature=related ...1964] The James Bond movie, "Goldfinger" premieres (12/25)...1968] Led Zeppelin begin their first U.S. tour in Boston opening for Vanilla Fudge (12/26)...1973] "The Exorcist" starring Linda Blair opens (12/26)...1990] "Godfather III" premieres (12/25)...
- 1968] T'was the night before Christmas: The Apollo 8 astronauts orbiting the moon read passages from the old testament Book of Genesis during a Christmas Eve TV broadcast (12/24)...
- 1981] Wedding Bells: Guardian Angel Curtis Sliwa and Lisa Evers walk down the aisle in their red berets and jackets. They break up in 1993 (12/24)...1990] Nicole Kidman succumbs to the many charms of Tom Cruise as they tie the knot. The marriage dissolves in 2001 (12/24)...1993] Rodney Dangerfield finally gets respect. At 72, he marries Joan Child, 41. (12/26) The marriage lasts until Rodney's death in 2004...
- 1982] Time Man of the Year: A computer. It's the first time a non-human receives the honors (12/26)... Mi-Sex, a CBS International act from Australia and New Zealand serenade the computer: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ufBYaYJAERc ...
- 1986] Curtains: "Search for Tomorrow" bows out after 35 years (12/26)...1992] Legendary sports play-by-play man, Marty Glickman retires at 75 (12/26)...
- 1996] Still unsolved: 6-year old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey is found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder (CO) (12/26). The murder remains unsolved. Here's some video on the case: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z_0ViJh5KH0 ...
- 2002] The kick is up: Katie Hnida becomes the first woman with or without a missing vowel to play in a Division I football game when she attempts an extra point for New Mexico against UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl. Unfortunately she craps out (12/25)...
- 2004] Deadly Tsunami: A tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean leaves more than 216,000 dead or missing in southern Asia (12/26)...
Music Memories:
- 1818] Composed and debuted on this date: "Silent Night", written by Josef Mohr with music by Franz Gruber of Germany (12/24) and it debuts on Christmas (12/25)...
- 1896] Named that tune on this date: John Philip Souza puts a title to the new music he composed, calling it "Stars and Stripes Forever" forever (12/25)...
- 1958] The Big Beat live on this date: Alan Freed's "Christmas Rock 'n Roll Spectacular" at the Loew's State Theater in Manhattan stars Frankie Avalon, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, the Everly Brothers, the Moonglows, Johnnie Ray & Jackie Wilson (12/25)...
- 1961] Recorded on this date: "She Cried" - Jay & The Americans (with Jay Traynor singing lead (12/26) : http://youtube.com/watch?v=LcrUO9-bqI8 ...1966] "I Think We're Alone Now" - Tommy James (12/24)...
- 1963] Released on this date: "I Want To Hold Your Hand" - Beatles (12/26)...
- 2006] Musical 'Happy Trails': James Brown dies from congestive heart failure resulting from complications of pneumonia. 'The Godfather of Soul' was 73 (12/25). Here's the news report: http://youtube.com/watch?v=NbtTId2Qcuw ...
Commentary:
Today (December 24) is the 101st anniversary of the first broadcast of a music program which I had as a Timeline in my weekend blog. In 1906 Canadian physicist Reginald A. Fessenden became the first disc jockey by broadcasting a program over the radio from Brant Rock (MA). An historian event at Christmas time and a perfect way to say to one and all, Merry Christmas. I'll be back with 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of the Year' on Thursday, December 27th. Be safe. Be happy...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
(12/24) Ryan Seacrest (33), Ricky Martin (36), Mike Curb (63) and Dave Bartholomew (86)...
(12/25) Dido (36), Rickey Henderson (49), Annie Lennox (53) who recently performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony: http://youtube.com/watch?v=S_oHzWvwp8Y , Karl Rove (57), Sissy Spacek (57), Barbara Mandrell (59), Jimmy Buffet (61) and Tony Martin (95)...(12/26) Chris Daughtry (28), Carlton Fisk (60), John Walsh (62), Paul Power (63), Phil Spector (67), Abdul "Duke" Fakir (72) seen here with the Four Tops singing one of my faves, "When She Was My Girl": http://youtube.com/watch?v=HMhHcrDySO8 and Richard Widmark (93)...
Timeline Countdown for Wednesday, December 26, 2007: One day from 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of the Year", 5 nights until New Year's Eve, 10 days until the NFL Wildcard Playoffs, 15 down and 1 to go for the Patriots and 17 days until the NFL Divisional Playoffs...
